Zero Punctuation is the name of a video game review site from Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw on The Escapist Magazine website. As the site says, “Every Wednesday Zero Punctuation picks apart the games so you don’t have to. Called ‘hilariously cutting … first legitimate breakout hit from the gaming community in recent memory’ by Boing Boing, see why gamers love it and developers fear it.”[1] The reviews are generally cynical, hilarious, and often times spot on. It’s called Zero Punctuation for a reason. He talks very fast, and sometimes his accent makes him difficult to understand (and I’ve lived in England for almost 3 years!), but I rarely watch a review without laughing.
Check out his review of Wii Sports Resort here for a good introduction to Zero Punctuation and insight into why many gamers hate the Wii. (I’m having trouble trying to imbed the image.)
If your gamer has been playing new releases like Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin’s Creed II, or Modern Warfare 2 (hmm, all sequels. Nothing new and original?!) you may want to check out his most recent reviews of these games in his video library. Just a side note, most of his reviews contain explicit language and/or content, so they are not for younger viewers.
Item price: There are various subscriptions available. The basics are $49.99 for a one year subscription, $19.99 for a 3 month subscription, or $7.99 for a one month subscription. Check the shop for special subscription packages.
What it does: The XBOX Live membership is similar to facebook in that members have profiles, can message and chat with friends and have avatars of themselves. Members can also redeem Microsoft Points to purchase game extras, movies, TV shows, etc. The main function is the online gaming community where members can virtually meet up with other members for online multiplayer games. If you’re dating a gamer odds are that he or she already has a membership, but they must be renewed yearly.
Where to buy it: Anywhere video games are sold, xbox.com, amazon.com, etc.
Who to buy this for:Your absent-minded gamer who might forget to renew his or her subscription, or your gamer who has a monthly subscription as opposed to yearly.
Review:An XBOX Live membership is sort of like buying a gift card because it’s not a very personal gift. However, it does make a great stocking stuffer or a cool add-on. Something to keep in mind though, if your gamer is anything like mine and can’t live a day without XBOX Live do some probing to make sure he or she doesn’t have automatic renewal.
Any Glee fans out there could have a bit more to keep their minds occupied while watching their gamer’s play Call of Duty. Puck looks just like Soap (the main character from COD 4: Modern Warfare)!
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I think this was the first year where I have actually surprised my gamer with a gift that he was genuinely excited about once he opened it. I’m not saying that he isn’t thankful for other presents I’ve given him, but as I’ve said before it’s not easy to buy a present for him, and it is certainly not easy to surprise him. This year my gift rocked; I bought him the Razer Mamba, a wireless gaming mouse.
What it does: It’s a wireless computer mouse designed especially “for gamers by gamers” (that’s the Razer tagline.) The Razer Mamba has a very cool looking design and a glowing blue light, but more importantly it’s ergonomically friendly with a long battery life, so the gamer can play for hours. I’ve heard lots of the technical stuff behind the design, but I’m not that computer savvy so if you care about the 5600 dpi laser sensor, or the 1 millisecond polling rate and other techie info check out the website here.
The gist behind it is that most of us normal point-and-click mouse users don’t need a very specific dpi sensor because we’re clicking on very large icons compared to gamers. We also don’t need the response between clicks to be that fast because we aren’t constantly clicking. But if you’re virtually aiming a gun at an enemy’s throat you want to be as accurate and as fast as possible so you can kick some serious video game ass. That’s why the 5600 dpi laser sensor and 1ms polling rate features are so important for gamers
Where to buy it: I got mine from Best Buy, but I would assume any place you can buy computer & video game equipment. You can also buy directly from razerzone.com.
Who to buy this for: Your serious PC gamer, or your gamer who has to have the latest and the greatest of everything.
Review: For PC gamers this mouse is absolutely awesome. It’s expensive, but apparently totally worth it and arguably the best mouse ever. My boyfriend was so excited about this mouse when the trailer first came out. (Yes, that’s right this mouse has a trailer just like a blockbuster movie.) He would talk about the design as if it was an Aston Martin DB9.
If you plan to buy this in the shops be aware that it comes in an elaborate clear display case. I made a bit of an ass out of myself after trying to explain to the guy at the store that there were no more Mamba’s in the mouse section while he was showing me the Mamba in a plastic display case between two computers. I didn’t realize that what he was showing me wasn’t a special display, but the actual packaging, and that he was trying to give it to me. This mouse is that cool.
A cutscene, or a cutscene movie, is a break in the gameplay usually used to further develop the story. They typcially follow a completed level and explain where the character will go next.
